Slice of Life
by LuckyMiltank
Summary: A little look into the everyday lives of a few neighborly squids.
1. Waking up: Cecil, Bic and Vodka

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be working on-"

Shhh...

"But-"

Shhhh. Have some writing I've been doing while at work. Enjoy.

* * *

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Be-_

 ** _Click._**

A male inkling groaned, slowly allowing his hand to slide from the alarm clock that plagued him just about every morning. He then turned, burying his face into his pillow with a muffled grunt. Clearly, this young man was _not_ a morning person. Despite this, he forces himself up and out of bed and into the bathroom adjacent to his room. One tan-colored hand turned on the sink's faucet, the other opened the mirror to grab a small hair tie before closing it. He saw a slightly blurry reflection in said mirror, sighed, then splashed the running water on his face, giving him a slight jolt. The water dripped from his face back into the sink while he gently pulled his mauve-colored tentacles into a ponytail. With another flick of his wrist, the sink was turned off and he trudged back to his room to grab the black rimmed glasses that sat on the nightstand near the door. Vision now restored to its full clarity, he beamed, knowing his usual routine was almost done. Now all that was left was-

"Cecil! Breakfast is ready!"

 _Breakfast._

The male, now known as Cecil, followed the siren call of the female voice into the kitchen, where a bouquet of savory aromas seduced his nose. Almost in a trance-like state, Cecil wandered over to the Octoling woman that stood over the black, still warm stove. She gave a giggle when he began to dance with her, making her hips sway gently with his hands. With a twirl, they now faced each other, faces only centimeters apart.

"Good morning, beautiful." Cecil whispered, rubbing his nose against her own. This earned another quiet laugh from her.

"Good morning, silly. Now quit foolin' around- the food's gonna get cold!" She pouted, straightening herself. She then grabbed a plate and neatly placed a hearty serving of scrambled eggs, bacon and waffles with powdered sugar on top onto its shiny surface before it was handed off to the gent, who placed it onto the table not far from the kitchen itself and had a seat to wait for his love to join him. She made another plate before grabbing two glasses with her scarlet tentacles and placed them accordingly at the table. Cecil then hurriedly sprang up from his seat to pull out the chair opposite his, allowing her to sit. A quick 'thank you' peck on the cheek later, they were both seated and able to enjoy their meal together as they often did.

"So, do you have any plans today, Bic?" Cecil began after a few minutes of silent eating.

"Ah! Vodka is taking me out for some fun today." This response earned a silent eyebrow raise of questioning from him. " _Bowling,_ I think she called it."

"Oh, good..." He sighed in relief.

"You?"

"Work. I should be home by 4."

"And your lunch?"

"Already packed, thanks." He confirmed, finishing the last of his eggs. Once they were both done, Cecil took both their plates and washed all the dishes before going to finally brush his teeth. As he returned to the bathroom down the hall, Bic walked out, having already completed her oral hygiene regimen. A high five was exchanged as they passed, as they did every morning. After a few minutes of personal prep and dressing between the two, they met up at the door with their things. They exited, locking and double-checking the door before sharing a goodbye kiss. As Bic waved Cecil off, he checked his watch- 7:02 am. Plenty of time for his commute to work.

* * *

Despite it being bright and sunny outside, the bedroom was pitch-black thanks to the very expensive-looking sunlight blocking curtains. A king sized bed sat in the center of the room and in it, one of two figures stirred in the darkness. A female inkling rose, the silk sheets falling from her nude form as she reached blindly underneath her pillow to search for her phone. She found it, brought it close and, with a touch, a _very_ bright light shone in her face from the screen, causing her to recoil, dropping it onto the plush bed.

"Fuck!"

"...Phone light again?" The male figure next to her asked with an unseen smirk.

"Shut up." She replied with an unseen eyeroll. She grabbed her phone and unlocked it, this time ready. Once she lowered the brightness setting, she could finally see the current time: 8:17 am. "FUCK!"

"Late again?"

"Shut. Up!" She huffed, playfully punching him in the chest. Before she could withdraw her arm, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her close, making her drop her phone once more. In the dim light, her violet eyes met his mockingly annoyed onyx ones.

"Get ready to pay for that." He growled, flipping them so that his nude form, still half wrapped in sheets, towered over hers. She grinned, already knowing what was coming and more than willing to accept her 'punishment'.

"Make it quick."

"I'll think about it.

* * *

The female huffed again, this time while stepping out of the shower, wrapping herself in a lime-green towel. The fogged clock on the wall read the time: 9:52 am. "I told you to make it _quick_!" She pouted at the male stepping out of the same shower with a victorious half-smile. He hugged her from behind, kissing her still-damp neck.

"I didn't hear you objecting _nor_ telling me to stop. Besides- yelling at me won't make you any less late, now will it?" He sassed, giving her rear a smack.

"I hate you."

"I love you too, Vod "

The duo got dressed- he in his usual dark, short sleeve shirt, black pants and equally black trench coat, and she in a red low v-neck shirt and short black pleated skirt. They groomed themselves and fixed up their hairstyles- Her long lime green tentacles were draped over her shoulders and his charcoal ones being separated and slicked backwards. A quick brushing of teeth later and the two shared a deep, passionate kiss before they separated. Vodka sprinted out of the front door, whizzing past the butler that stood stationed there.

"Limousine, mada-"

"No time!" She screamed, hopping on her motorcycle and speeding away without another word in a cloud of smoke. Draven, the dark-clad gent, shook his head as he watched all this, then made his own way to the dining hall, having time for breakfast. The large and heavy doors were opened for him by two maids, revealing the luxurious dining hall. A row of bay windows opposite the door allowed for natural light to grace the room, some of it reflecting from the large crystal chandeliers over head. He made his way over the white marble flooring to his favorite seat by an open window and took his place. There were already rows of prepared dishes and fruits of all sorts strewn about the large table's white tablecloth. A bit aways from him sat another female that looked exactly like Vodka, save for her more regal clothing and the direction of her bangs, which pointed left instead of her twin sister's right. A few ravens flew into the room before the woman spoke.

"Good morning, Draven."

"Morning, Martini."

"...She is tardy again, correct?"

"Yep."

And not another word was shared between the two as they and the ravens dined in silence.

* * *

Vodka's tentacles flapped about in the wind behind her she sped through to the city. Many red lights were passed, several pedestrians almost hit and even more middle fingers were given, but she didn't care; How could she be so late for one of her closest friends?! She maintained her frantic drive until she spotted Bic waiting outside her apartment, sitting on the sidewalk. Her Vespa came to a screeching halt barely a foot away from the Octoling, who simply smiled and didn't bat an eye as the cloud of dirt and dust settled around her, revealing a slightly disheveled Vodka on her bike, panting and damn near having an attack.

"Good morning, Vod-"

"BIC! Oh my fuck, I'm SO sorry I'm late, I didn't get up in time because I didn't hear my alarm go off and then Drae took his dear sweet time and I didn't even try to stop him and then the traffic and-"

"Vod!" Bic half-yelled, snapping the green gal back into the present. By that time, Bic was already sitting behind Vodka on her motorcycle and tightened her hug with a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, I'm not mad. It's okay, I wasn't waiting long."

"...You're lying."

"So?"

"Ugh."

"C'mon, lets get you some grub."

At that suggestion, Vodka sat up fully, only now registering that her stomach had been crying out for nourishment. She gave a quick sheepish laugh before sighing off her own childish actions and pulled away towards their friend's cafe.

* * *

 ** _(A/N):_** I hate typing things on my phone because they turn out weird...but I have no internet to do this on a computer so blegh. Anywho, this is just a random story that I work on while at work and only while at work. It has no particular plot other than just giving you guys a little look into a typical day of my squiddies' lives. I hope you enjoy, because I know I do. As always, thank you for giving your time to read this.


	2. Diner Dash

An old-fashioned alarm clock's bells chimed and were almost immediately silenced with a hearty laugh. "Beat ya again!" A midsized inkling female beamed. She was already fed, groomed and dressed- all before 6am, as was her usual. Her bed made, bag on her shoulder and car keys in hand, she exited her home and locked up before tossing her bag inside her ride and hopped in. The drive was brief, seeing as she made sure she moved into a house not far away from her work. She parked around the back of a rather large complex in the still sleeping city of Inkopolis. She left her modest vehicle with her bag, locking that as well before heading inside via the backdoor of the establishment.

The girl gave a quick stretch and cracked her knuckles before giving the eatery a walk-through, turning on all the lights as she went. Once the place was illuminated, she took a deep breath, taking it all in. From the white-and-red checkered tile of the kitchen to the shining metallic surfaces of the prepping tables and stoves, all the way to the country-styled wooden cabinets, she still had the same face of childish wonder. The racks, full of different herbs and spices, the tall metallic doors that led to the freezer, even the basket of fruit that she kept near the double sink. Every day that she set foot into the kitchen, she couldn't wish for anything more than to be doing what she loved. And this was it. This was her cafe, her dream. She quickly got out her apron from her bag and slipped it on, making sure it was tied well in the back. Afterward, she took out a simple brown badge and pinned it to the chest of her apron before tracing a finger lovingly over the engraving with a smile- 'Milly T.'. Now that she was fully in uniform, waltzed into the actual dining area, which was reminiscent to a 1950's diner- Checkered tile flooring of white and black, neon lights that ran along the top of the walls, booths with red leather seats, a bar outfitted with several kinds of alcohol, a single cash register and a jukebox on the far wall. She quickly continued to dance over to the transparent door, flipping the 'Closed' sign over so that it read 'Open, Come on in!' to the public before returning to the kitchen to do some light meal prep.

The ovens, already on and at their respective temperatures for baking different things, were soon filled with pastries of all sorts, sending a sweet aroma through the whole cafe. The refrigerators and freezer were soon after checked and double checked for the correct holding temperatures of each, the oil checked and clean, stoves so clean and shiny she could see her fair reflection in it. She finally opened the cabinets and made a mental note of all her available supplies, making sure to remember to get more of what she'd run out or ran low of before she washed her hands and sanitized her tentacles. Time to get to work.

* * *

Whilst in mid roll of some fresh dough, a faint dinging of a bell told her that her usual early bird had just flown in. Within seconds, Milly was out to greet the gentleman. He was a middle-aged Sea Urchin, dressed in neatly pressed business attire, hurriedly rushing to the counter. With a smile, Milly met him with a fresh, steaming cup of coffee with two pumps cream and a spoonful of sugar- just the way she knew he liked it. He greedily snatched the cup, taking a sip before his whole demeanor shifted, making him seem calmer and more relaxed as he slid a card in Milly's direction.

He gave a quick sigh of relief before he spoke at last: "Where would I be without you, Milly?"

"Prolly late-er than ya already are, Ah'm guessin'." She joked. They shared a quick laugh as she returned his card with a receipt, then the man rushed back out with a wave. "Have a great day, !" Milly called, returning to the kitchen. After the biscuits and scones were done, the faint bell could be heard more frequently, signifying one thing: Breakfast rush.

People of all size, age, ethnicity and background popped in, all lead by the temptress of an aroma her baking gave off. So many people and, even though Milly was the only one running the place, business flowed smoothly since she could easily handle the pressure. Orders were quickly taken, drinks were served and the food was carefully and lovingly cooked to her own standard of perfection. She strode out of the kitchen with confidence, a plate in each hand, one on each arm and another in each able tentacle, allowing the busy pinkling to carry 7 plates of hot food at once- very handy for serving up a whole room of hungry individuals. In only a few moments, each table was served their correct meals with that ever-present friendly smile that had become almost second nature to not only herself, but her frequent customers. Even to newer ones, her welcoming and almost motherly aura was pleasant and difficult to be upset or down around...But then again, that doesn't mean it is _impossible_.

Service carried on without a hitch as per usual as a new customer that Milly hadn't seen before strut into the building. She was a young-looking woman with sunshine-colored tentelacles that were pulled into a bun, and was dressed in a very hipster-like fashion with a bright blue tank top partially covered in a red and black checkered scarf, grey leggings and fluffy snowboots. As per standard, Milly gave immediate attention to her. "Good mornin', an' welcome!" She exclaimed as the girl got closer to the counter. The young lady, on her phone as she approached, didn't return the greeting and instead mumbled into her phone as she looked over the menu. This wasn't abnormal, and thus Milly took no offense as she kept her smile and pulled out her signature note pad and pencil from her apron pocket. "Lemme know when yer ready t'order, hun."

"Yeah...Uh-huh... I know! H-hang on, hang on, Chels. Hang on. Yeah, uhm...do you serve lattes?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"What flavors?"

"We serve vanilla, hazelnut, chai, raspberry-"

"Do you have mint?"

"Well, we do but Ah'm out of mint leaves and syrup, sorry."

"Ugh, of course you are. I'll take hazelnut, if you have that."

"Alright, anythin' el-"

"Can I get it sugar-free?"

"Course. Will that be a-"

"Are your scones _gluten-free_?"

"Wh-"

"Because I'm on this _gluten-free_ diet and-"

"No ma'am, they aren't gluten-free."

"Can you not interrupt me!? Oh my cod you're rude!" The customer snapped. At this point, a few other customers had piled in line behind her, frowning and whispering amongst themselves at this transaction. Milly, seemingly unfazed, never stopped smiling.

"My apologies, ma'am. Can Ah help with anythin' else?"

"If your food's not _gluten-free,_ then no."

"Alright, One sugar-free Hazelnut latte, total's on the screen."

"Do you accept _coin_?"

An audible groan was heard from multiple people in line at once.

"No ma'am, cash or card only."

"Ugh. Fine, whatever." She then, much to the relief of the others behind her, paid and took a seat at the bar to wait for her drink and resume her (very loud) phone conversation. Milly apologized to every single customer in waiting and thanked them for their patience before taking their orders, all the while the young lady's conversation was audible to everyone near the register. "Oh. Em. Gee. Can you _believe_ this place? Like, first they can't make mint lattes. Then they don't have gluten-free pastries...I know right?! Like, ugh, get with the times. They don't even accept coin here. ...pfft, yeah. I can't believe this _dump_ is still in business either."

As the last customer in line heard this, they turned to Milly, who was still focused, and gave her a very sympathetic look before paying and waiting at the far end of the bar. Mid-conversation, everyone's favorite customer calls to Milly, who had begun prepping everyone's orders as fast as she could in order of ease and speed. "Uh, hello?! What's taking so long, I only ordered a latte!"

Without turning around from pouring a cup, Milly replied, "Please be patient now, ma'am. Yer order's comin' up.". It was at that time that Bic and Vodka walked in and took a seat at the bar, Vodka sitting next to 'Little Miss Sunshine'. Milly then turned, obviously happy to see them. "Ah! Howdy ladies! What's goin' on?" She asked, sliding a customer their cup of orange juice as they walked out.

"Not much. We're here to get Vod some breakfast." Bic replied, resting her chin in her hands atop the bar.

"Late again, huh, V?"

"Shut. Up."

"Haha! The usual then?"

"And step on it, please."

"Ahem!" The brightly colored girl interjected. They all turned to her, Milly with her order in hand. She slid it to her, which prompted a not-so-quiet "Finally..." before the girl paused. She frowned, then scoffed before rolling her eyes. "Chels. Let me call you right back. I'm about to have a bitch fit." She sneered, snapping her phone shut and shoving it into her bag. She then pointed at the drink in front of her with a look of disgust. "What. Is this."

"Your order. Sugar-free Hazelnut latte."

"Where's the _ice_?"

"Beg yer pardon?"

"I wanted. It iced."

"You didn't specify that, ma'am."

"Uh. Yeah. I did."

"Ah'm sorry ma'am, but you didn't."

"Are you calling me a _liar_?"

"No, all Ah'm sayin' is-"

"I demand to speak with your _**manager**_!"

Milly, without dropping her smile for a single moment, held up a finger before slowly doing a full, 360 degree turn and faced the unruly woman again. "Yes? You wanted to speak with _me_?"

Laughter erupted through the cafe as the angry woman stood with a deep embarrassed blush littering her features. "Ugh! J-just you wait! I'm _**SO**_ giving this place a 1-star review!"

Before she could turn, a lime green tentacle wrapped around her wrist with an unrelenting grip. The yellow-clad woman turned her gaze downward and yelped when she laid eyes on Vodka's immensely pissed-off expression. "Not only do you have a shitty fashion sense, but you're rude AND obnoxiously full of yourself? Let me see _shit_ from you and I **_promise_** you won't have a finger left to blog with." The gal then rushed out, obviously defeated, without another peep. Milly exhaled deeply in relief.

"Thanks, Vod. Lemme get started on yer food." Milly thanked, going into the kitchen once more. Vodka, upon seeing the untouched drink that was left, gave it a quick sip before sliding sliding it to Bic with a quiet grunt of dissatisfaction.

"Hazelnut."

"Sweet!" Bic cheered, eagerly accepting the free drink. After a while, a hot, steaming plate of fried eggs, toast with blackberry jam and seared ham was slid in front of the starving heroine, along with a glass filled with an off-orange drink. Vodka pointed to the glass with a raised eyebrow.

"Mimosa." Milly confirmed.

"Say no more." Vodka said picking up a fork and knife. As she absolutely destroyed her meal, Milly and Bic laughed at her voracious appetite as Milly went to get another plate.

* * *

 ** _(A/N):_** I loved writing this part. Next up, we get a peek at Cecil's work life! Thank you for reading, and feel free to give me suggestions in reviews on what I should touch on!


End file.
